List of Canadian Birds: 100 Common Birds in Canada

List of Canadian Birds: The most common types of birds found in Canada are Canada Jay, Common Loon, American Robin, Wild Turkey and Bald Eagle. Canada is the second largest country in the world with a total area of 9.98 million square kilometres. It has more than over 450 types of bird species but the most common are Waterfoul, Songbirds, Birds of prey and Shorebirds.

Here is the list of Canadian Birds.

List of Canadian Birds

S.no	Bird Name	Bird Species
1	Canada Jay	Garrulus Canadensis
2	Common Loon	Gavia immer
3	American Robin	Turdus migratorius
4	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo
5	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus
6	Snow Goose	Anser caerulescens
7	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser
8	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus
9	Greater Yellowlegs	Tringa melanoleuca
10	Herring Gull	Larus argentatus
11	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus
12	Common Raven	Corvus corax
13	Ruby-throated Hummingbird	Archilochus colubris
14	Spruce Grouse	Falcipennis canadensis
15	Sandhill Crane	Grus canadensis
16	Great Horned Owl	Bubo virginianus
17	Northern Gannet	Morus bassanus
18	Common Nighthawk	Chordeiles minor
19	Ring-necked Duck	Aythya collaris
20	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata
21	Northern Saw-whet Owl	Aegolius acadicus
22	Common Grackle	Quiscalus quiscula
23	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis
24	Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum
25	Yellow Warbler	Setophaga aestiva
26	Ruffed Grouse	Bonasa umbellus
27	Northern Harrier	Circus hudsonius
28	Double-crested Cormorant	Phalacrocorax auritus
29	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius
30	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos
31	Blackpoll Warbler	Setophaga striata
32	Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus
33	Savannah Sparrow	Passerculus sandwichensis
34	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis
35	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia
36	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis
37	Common Eider	Somateria mollissima
38	Horned Grebe	Podiceps auritus
39	Wilson’s Snipe	Gallinago delicata
40	Bonaparte’s Gull	Chroicocephalus Philadelphia
41	American Black Duck	Anas rubripes
42	Greater Scaup	Aythya marila
43	Lesser Scaup	Aythya affinis
44	Surf Scoter	Melanitta perspicillata
45	White-winged Scoter	Melanitta fusca
46	Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula
47	Barrow’s Goldeneye	Bucephala islandica
48	Bufflehead	Bucephala albeola
49	Hooded Merganser	Lophodytes cucullatus
50	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser
51	Ring-necked Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus
52	Gray Partridge	Perdix perdix
53	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo
54	Ruffed Grouse	Bonasa umbellus
55	Spruce Grouse	Falcipennis canadensis
56	Greater Prairie-Chicken	Tympanuchus cupido
57	Sharp-tailed Grouse	Tympanuchus phasianellus
58	Sandhill Crane	Grus canadensis
59	Common Loon	Gavia immer
60	Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps
61	Horned Grebe	Podiceps auritus
62	Red-necked Grebe	Podiceps grisegena
63	Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps
64	Leach’s Storm-petrel	Oceanodroma leucorhoa
65	Northern Gannet	Morus bassanus
66	Great Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo
67	Double-crested Cormorant	Phalacrocorax auritus
68	Brandt’s Cormorant	Phalacrocorax penicillatus
69	American White Pelican	Pelecanus erythrorhynchus
70	Brown Pelican	Pelecanus occidentalis
71	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias
72	Great Egret	Ardea alba
73	Snowy Egret	Egretta thula
74	Little Blue Heron	Egretta caerulea
75	Green Heron	Butorides virescens
76	Black-crowned Night-Heron	Nyctanassa violacea
77	Yellow-crowned Night-Heron	Nyctanassa violacea
78	Tundra Swan	Cygnus columbianus
79	Mute Swan	Cygnus olor
80	Trumpeter Swan	Cygnus buccinator
81	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura
82	Osprey	Pandion haliaetus
83	Northern Ghoshawk	Accipiter gentiles
84	Cooper’s hawk	Accipiter striatus
85	Sharp spinner hawk	Accipiter striatus
86	Broad-winged hawk	Buteo platypterus
87	Red-tailed hawk	Buteo jamaicensis
88	Roughed legged hawk	Buteo lagopus
89	Golden Eagle	Aquila chrysaetos
90	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius
91	Merlin	Falco columbarius
92	Peregrine Falcon	Falco peregrinus
93	Ruffed Grouse	Bonasa umbellus
94	Greater Prairie-Chicken	Tympanuchus cupido
95	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo
96	Ring-necked Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus
97	Sandhill Crane	Grus canadensis
98	American Coot	Fulica americana
99	Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus
100	Semipalmated Sandpiper	Calidris semipalmata

The Above list contains only the common bird’s list that is found in Canada’s natural habitat because Canada has more than 450 types of recognised species which is why the list can become too long to study.

Common bird species found in Canada

There are more than 450 Birds Species that are recognised and found in Canada but the most common bird the species found in Canada are the Canada Jay, Black-capped chickadee, American Robin, Common Loon , Song Sparrow , Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal , House Wren, demeanourDowny Woodpecker and Mallard.

Canada Jay

This bold and intelligent bird is found in coniferous forests across Canada. They are known for their friendly demeanour and will often approach humans for food.

Black-capped Chickadee

These perky little songbirds are a familiar sight in backyards and forests across Canada. They are well-known for their distinctive “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” song.

American Robin

This cheerful songbird is a common sight in backyards and parks across Canada. They are insectivores and will often be seen hopping on the ground in search of food.

Common Loon

An iconic symbol of Canada, the common loon is a large diving bird found on lakes and rivers across the country. Their haunting calls are a familiar sound in the Canadian wilderness.

Song Sparrow

One of the most abundant bird species in North America, the song sparrow can be found in a variety of habitats across Canada. They use their songs for defence and to attract mates.

Blue Jay

These noisy and intelligent birds are common in forests and backyards across Canada. They are known for their bold personalities and loud calls.

Northern Cardinal

This brightly coloured songbird is becoming increasingly common in southern Canada. They are popular backyard visitors due to their beautiful songs and striking red plumage.

House Wren

 A common sight in backyards and gardens across Canada, house wrens are small brown songbirds with distinctive songs. They readily use nest boxes provided for them.

Downy Woodpecker

 This small woodpecker is a common sight in backyards and forests across Canada. They are attracted to suet feeders and help control insect populations.

Mallard

This familiar dabbling duck is found in ponds, lakes, and wetlands across Canada. They are popular game birds and readily adapt to urban and suburban environments.

National Bird of Canada

Canada Jay is the National Bird of Canada and they are of Garrulus canadensis species. They are mostly found in Northern British Columbia and Northern Ontario and they can be found in mountain ranges where black and white spruce trees are common. They are omnivorous and eat berries, seeds, insects and human food. They are about 28 to 31 cm long. They are also known for their ability to mimic sounds, including human speech. Their voice sounds “Jay”.Nicknames or also known as “camp robber” and “whiskey jack” due to their intelligence.

10 Most Rare Birds of Canada

S.no	Bird Name	Bird Species
1	Eskimo Curlew	Numenius borealis
2	Ivory Gull	Pagophila eburnea
3	Roseate Tern	Sterna dougallii
4	Tricolored Heron	Egretta tricolor
5	Black-footed Albatros	Phoebastria nigripes
6	Short-eared Owl	Asio flammeus
7	Kirtland’s Warbler	Setophaga kirtlandii
8	Piping Plover	Charadrius melodus
9	Sprague’s Pipit	Anthus Sprague
10	Golde-winged Warbler	Vermivora chrysoptera

Smallest Bird of Canada

The smallest bird in Canada and the United States is the Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope).

• Calliope Hummingbirds are tiny, measuring only 7-10 cm in length with a wingspan of 11 cm.

• They weigh are 2-3 grams.

• These birds breed in dry, open mountain woodlands and shrublands across western Canada, from British Columbia to Alberta.

• During winter, they migrate to the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America.

Interesting Facts about Canadian Birds

S.no	Interesting facts about Canadian Birds
1	Vaux’s Swifts perform mid-air acrobatics while catching insects and nesting in large chimneys at night.
2	Gray Jays can mimic an astonishing array of sounds, including other birds, mammals, and even mechanical noises.
3	Northern Gannets are master divers, plunging from incredible heights to catch fish at speeds exceeding 100 kilometres per hour.
4	Snow Buntings have an exceptional sense of smell, allowing them to locate buried seeds beneath winter snow.
5	Arctic Terns holds the record for the longest bird migration, travelling over 30,000 kilometres round trip between Canada and Antarctica.
6	Common Loons have been observed using pebbles in their beaks to break open molluscs with hard shells.
7	Ruffed Grouse have unique feather displays on their necks that resemble leaves, providing camouflage against predators in winter.
8	Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been known to hitch rides on the backs of migrating geese to conserve energy during long journeys south.
9	Common Poorwills enter a state of torpor during winter, with their body temperature and metabolic rate dropping significantly.
10	Pine Grosbeaks have specialized bills for cracking cones and extracting seeds in winter, and their beautiful songs can be heard even in the coldest weather.

List of Canadian Birds – FAQs

What is Canada’s National bird?

The Canada Jay was actually known as the Canada Jay for over 200 years, but in 1957, the American Ornithologists’ Union Checklist Committee wrangled over subspecies issues with this bird and “accidentally” decided to rename it as one species — the Gray Jay.

What is the most common bird in Canada?

The Song Sparrow  is one of the most abundant bird species in North America. Fast facts: Song sparrows use their songs as defense and to attract mates — and it turns out females like big brains. Research suggests males are more likely to attract a female if they show an ability to change their tune.

How many birds live in Canada?

Canada’s diverse landscapes support a great abundance and variety of birds thats why more than 450 birds species regularly make use of canada’s natural and human-modified landscapes for at least part of their annual cycle.

What is the smallest bird in Canada?

The Calliope Hummingbird Canada’s smallest bird, breeds in dry, open mountain woodlands and shrublands.